Magnetic toy called the magical cupid



vITEiD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SVVAIM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAGNETIC TOY CALLED THE MAGICAL CUPID.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,423, dated January 10, 1854.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES SWAIM, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Magnetic Toys, which I denominate a Magical Cupid; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

The nature of my invention is as follows. The apparatus is intended for amusement and instruction; and it consists of a`closed oblong box. l

Figure l represents a top view of the box; Fig. 2, a bottoln view with the bottom removed; Fig. 3, a view of the box with the top removed, so as to show the interior. On top of this box a small cupid is poised on a pivot, as shown at Fig. l. A series of answers o a a, dac., are placed in segments around the circumference of a circle. The cupid, as it rotates on its pivot, will point to one 0r other of these answers. A series of questions corresponding to these answers are iixed upon small blocks or strips, one of which is placed at Fig. et. If any one of these blocks be slid into a small aperture in the end'of the box, the cupid immediately turns on its pivot until it points to the answer appropriate to that question.

Vhen the toy is in use, the internal mechanism by which the above result is effected is concealed7 and only the revolving cupid O, the circle of answers a a d, and the blocks containing the several questions are visible.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improved apparatus, I proceed.

to describe the construction and operation-of the internal arrangement of mechanism.

On the lower side of the cupid O a magnetic needle is affixed, so as to be concealed from view. On the inside of the box (see Fig. 3) immediately under the revolving cupid a small revolving permanent bar-magnet on, Fig. 3, is placed. As this bar-magnet m revolves, the attraction of the opposite poles of the cupid-n eedle and bar-magnet will cause the cupid to revolve with and always point in the same direction as the bar. The barmagnet is supported on a small vertical spinworld doingr dle s. On this spindle below the magnet is ar toothed or cogged wheel T. There is a straight sliding piece A, wit-h a rack-work or series of holes h h 7i,into which the projec# tionsvof the wheel T fit.' Each tooth of the wheel T always 'fits into the same hole or indentation of the sliding piece A. lHence the toothed wheel T and the bar-magnet will rotate proportionately to the extent to which the sliding bar A is pushed forward toward B. At one extremity of the sliding bar A a pin or piece of straight wire Z projects. A series of questionsV are written or pasted onto blocks, one of which is shown at Fig. 1. A hole p is drilled into one end of the block of the same diameter as the pin. The hole p is drilled to a different depth in the end of each question-block. At the end of the boX an opening O C or a longitudinal slit c c c 0 is made of dimensions just sufficient to reoeive and contain a single question-block. The question-blocks are successively slidinto the end O C', and the door D closes the opening. The holes p in the question-blocks are so drilled as always to lit accuratelyupon the pin Z. the end of the pin reaches the end of the hole the sliding piece A begins toslide back toward B and continues to slide until the question-block is Wholly Within the space c cc 0.

It is evident that the relative extent to which the sliding piece A will be pushed backward by the several question-blockswill be regulated by the depth to which the hole p is drilled into the respective questionblocks. The extent to which the sliding piece A is pushed backward determines the extent to which the Wheel T and bar-magnet m will rotate, and this in turn causes the cupid outside to assume a corresponding position. After having arranged all the holes properly in each of thequestion-blocks any desired series of questions may be attached to the blocks, such as What is one half the queror of the present day What will procure a young Wife for an old man &c. Each block is then in turn to be slid intoy its place at c c c" c", and the position which the cupid outside assumes is to be observed. An answer appropriate to that question is then to be written or placed at vthat part of The pin Z enters the hole p, and when I Who is the greatest con-` the circumference to which the cupid points. In this Way a series of from eight to twelve or more questions and answers may be arranged, and the cupid will invariably point to the answer appropriate to the question on that block which may be slid in.

A spiral spring II is attached at one endto the sliding piece A and at the other to the frame-Work of the box. The function of this spring is to pull back the sliding piece A as soon as the question has been answered and eject the question-block at the point@ C. The bar-magnetm turns back to its normal position and the cupid follows the bar-magnet around. That part of the circle Where the cupid points when no question is in the box is marked blank or zero.

J, Fig. 3, is another spiral spring attached to a sliding piece, the action of which is auxiliary to the other sliding spring H in ejecting the question-blocks. On the under side of the box a third spiral spring K is placed, acting upon a small hingedldoor R. This hinged door fits against' the inside of the slit c c and hides the pin Z from external View when the question-block is Withdrawn. As the question-block is forced in, the smallhinged door R is forced down andthe blockslides over it.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the question blocks with adjustable holes, the slidingpiece A, the toothed Wheel T, the rotating bar-magnet,

t and the exterior cupid, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described.

Witnesses:

THo. STEWART, WILLIAMS OGLE. 

